Now we are a nation of wine-drinkers, so, naturally, we cook with wine, but it is worth trying a few beer and cider recipes. They are different to use than wine, so it is not a question of being on the edge of a divide — with wine cooks on one side, beer and cider affiliates on the other — and seldom a case of a straightforward substitution of wine for beer or cider. It is more a matter of adding new recipes to your collection. And these days, there is so much choice — specialist, imported beers, new British beers and classic ales, stouts and porters — you can really play around.

A couple of tips: as with wine, the beer and cider must be drinkable, good quality and fresh; and don’t overdo it, as more is seldom better, whether you are using a dry hoppy ale, pilsener, Belgian witbier or a full-bodied, bitter stout. So, stick to the recipe, and if there is anything left in the bottle, that’s the cook’s nips.

MUSSELS IN WHEAT BEER

The Belgians know a thing or two about both beer and mussels, and cooking the latter in the former. Their answer to moules marinières is a classic. You can use English ale, but Belgian and Dutch wheat beers, which are flavoured with coriander and orange peel, work well. Gulpener Korenwolf, sold by Majestic, is a good Dutch one to try.

Serves 4 as a starter, 2-3 as a main course

1.5kg mussels
30g butter
2 shallots or 1 small red onion, very finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped (optional)
330ml wheat beer
1-2 bay leaves, or 2-3 sprigs of thyme
120ml double cream
Freshly ground pepper
Parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
Streaky bacon, diced and crisply fried (optional garnish)

Rinse the mussels in several changes of cold water. Discard any open ones that don’t close when given a firm tap, scrape off any barnacles and pull off the beards. That is the hard work over; you now have a choice. If you like the taste of raw shallot or onion, melt the butter in a large heavy-based pan, add the shallots, garlic, beer and herbs, bring to the boil and cook hard for one minute. If you don’t like raw onion, soften it in the butter first before pouring on the beer.

Add the mussels, cover and cook over a high heat for two minutes. Holding the lid in place, shake the pan, then remove the lid and cook until the mussels are opened (1-3 minutes more). Working quickly, divide the mussels between bowls using a slotted spoon. Reheat the juice if necessary, stir in the cream and pepper and pour over the mussels. Garnish with the parsley or bacon if you wish. Serve with plenty of bread.

DUCK BRAISED WITH ROOT VEGETABLES IN CIDER

This is one of those perfect one-pot meals you can assemble and forget about. It will feed any number of people: adjust the veg quantities accordingly, but don’t use less than 100ml or more than 300ml of cider. You can vary the root veg, but if you use parsnips for sweetness instead of carrots, you risk having an all-beige meal. This recipe also works well with a whole chicken (cook for 75 minutes), or plump guinea fowl or pheasant (cook for an hour).

Serves 4

4 duck legs, preferably Gressingham
Sea salt
¼ tsp per duck leg of five spice
650g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks
600g carrots, peeled and cut as above
600g turnips or celeriac, peeled and cut as above
4-8 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 bay leaves
Half a lemon, quartered
Black pepper
200ml good-quality dry cider
Watercress or flat-leaf parsley to garnish

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